It is now official. One half of the McCourty Twins’ time in the NFL has at last ended with Jason McCourty announcing his retirement today. He may not have been as talented or accomplished as his brother, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he had a meaningless career.
Like I said, McCourty has always been in the shadow of his (in my opinion) Hall of Fame-caliber brother, longtime Patriots’ safety Devin McCourty. Being drafted by the Tennesse Titans in the 6th Round at pick #203 at the 2009 draft (which was when the Titans were awful) kind of has the impact on a player.
Also, with Devin McCourty making numerous All-Pro teams, Pro Bowls, coming in second as Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2010, and winning three Super Bowls, Jason really had no chance of being viewed as the “better McCourty” brother.
But that doesn’t mean he was not a good player. Actually, he was one of the most consistent and underrated cornerbacks of the 2010’s. He averaged 60 tackles/season, had 13 interceptions in 8 years, and forced 5 fumbles as a cornerback during his Tennessee years.
Are those great stats? No. But they are consistent. And impressive considering the Titans were one of the worst NFL teams during his time spent there.
In my opinion, Jason McCourty could have become a much better player if he was not stuck on some god-awful teams during his first decade in the NFL. Between 8 years with the Titans and 1 year in Cleveland, he didn’t make it to the playoffs once. Even worse, he was a part of the 0-16 Cleveland Browns team in 2017.
Yeah, not a great look on one’s NFL resume.
But, when he joined up with his twin brother in New England for the 2018/19 season, he proved his worth and talent. Most importantly, he did it in the biggest moment: Super Bowl LIII.
It was Jason McCourty who bailed out his All-Pro cornerback partner, Stephan Gilmore, by first breaking up a sure Brandon Cooks’ (Gilmore’s man on the play) touchdown late on in the 3rd quarter. Since the game finished 13-3, with only one touchdown scored, McCourty arguable won the Patriots their 6th Super Bowl ring with that pass defense.
In truth, if it wasn’t for McCourty, the Rams probably win that game as the Pats looked awful before that moment. Can you imagine how the media and the NFL world would have viewed Tom Brady and Bill Belichick if they lost their FOURTH Super Bowl game (and a second in a row following the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles loss)?
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Jason McCourty’s Super Bowl heroics saved Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s legacy.
McCourty’s final three years in the NFL were not nearly as heroic, as he featured less prominently for the Patriots and then Miami Dolphins (after he left New England) due to age and nagging injuries.
Jason McCourty may be forgotten by most NFL fans, but every Patriots’ fan should remember his name with fondness. His heroics delivered the Pats their 6th Super Bowl ring, making them the joint-most successful franchise in NFL history.
On behalf of all Pats fans, Jason, I would like to say: Thank you and enjoy retirement! You and your brother will go down as the best twin duo in NFL history!
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